5 great foodie events to look forward to in Melbourne

Melbourne is arguable one of the best cities in the world for foodies! With a bustling restaurant and café culture with chefs cooking up delights from all over the world, it’s not surprising at all to learn that the city hosts dozens of exciting food festivals each year.

Here are five great Melbourne foodie events to look forward to.

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
One of Melbourne’s biggest events of the year is the Food and Wine Festival, attracting thousands of people to the Australia’s culinary capital. The 2016 festival runs for 10 days in March, when people will gather at various venues to sample provincial flavours. There are also cooking masterclasses, wine tastings at some of the state’s best vineyards and free entertainment.

Night Noodle Market
The Night Noodle Market, held in November, is just getting bigger and better (and tastier!) each year! Pop up food stalls light up the banks of the Yarra River at Birrarung Marr, as thousands gather to sample noodle and dumpling dishes from all over the world. The flavours on offer are interesting and unique – make sure you get in early to avoid queues if you want to try them all!

International Street Food Festival
Between March 19-20 at the Catani Gardens on the St Kilda Foreshore is one of Australia’s most exciting international food festivals. This joyful and multicultural celebration has 45 different world cuisines to sample, meaning you’ll be able to pick up everything from pasta, to churros to stir-fry and anything else you can imagine!

The Natural and Organic Supershow
This event is all about natural, pure and healthy ingredients. It’s Australia’s only natural and organic supershow, and is held over the Labour Day long weekend each year. Sample and take home products that are full of goodness, taste and are often environmentally friendly. It’s the ultimate food event for any vegan or vegetarian.

Johnston Street Festival
Head to Fitzroy in November to witness Melbourne’s Hispanic community take over Johnston Street. The two-day festival celebrates one-thousand years of Spanish food and culture. Roads are blocked off to make way for food stalls selling jugs of sangria, sizzling pans of paella and hot churros. The festival is brought to life with Spanish dancing and entertainment all afternoon and into the night.

Brianna Piazza is an Australian television reporter and part-time travel blogger. Originally from Melbourne, she's currently living in Cairns where she works for WIN News and spends her weekends exploring the outdoors Far North Queensland.

Deals

You might also be interested in

BBQs, bands and billycarts all feature in a bumper line-up of eclectic events in Port Macquarie this year. Plan your visit around one of the many foodie, cultural and sporting fixtures that will spice up any weekend in this gorgeous coastal town. Here are 7 to ponder: 1. Slice of Haven (29 May) – spend your day by the Camden Haven River and meet over 80 local producers of nuts, cheese, wine, beer, vegetables and bush-foods. This year’s ‘Magic beyond the plate’ theme will feature cooking demonstrations, workshops, dancing, quirky stilt walkers and games. 10am-4pm. Entry via gold coin donation. www.sliceofhaven.com.au 2. Hastings Landcare Farm Gate Tour (11-13 June, long weekend, pictured) – learn where your food comes from at this unique event run by Landcare that visits around 12 farms that aren’t normally open to the public. From the oyster farms of the Hastings River to the lush grazing valleys of the Wauchope hinterland, see cows being milked, chickens…

It’s the stuff of legend. Some call it Australia’s Loch Ness. It’s the Mahogany Ship, the mystery vessel, maybe a Portuguese caravel or even a Chinese junk, claimed to lie buried beneath the dunes between Warrnambool and Port Fairy on Victoria’s notorious Shipwreck Coast. Historians predict that if found it could rewrite the history of Australia’s discovery. You might not find it, but walking the sands and following the clues is heaps of fun. The journey From Melbourne there are two choices, with either Warrnambool or Port Fairy, a little beyond, as your base. The inland route to Warrnambool, 269km or a 3.5-hour drive along the Princes Highway through Geelong, Colac and Camperdown, is the quickest, while your return can be via the spectacular Great Ocean Road, through Lorne and Apollo Bay, which takes a couple of hours longer. Follow the clues To get your bearings on the Mahogany Ship jigsaw, first visit Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum to soak…

Love hanging out with your friends and listening to great music during the summer? Then why not grab a hire car or an Australian campervan rental and head for a caravan park near some of our hottest music festivals this summer. Here are five to ponder, complete with recommended caravan parks where you can park your wheels. SUMMADAYZE (January 5, Gold Coast) If you have spent all winter rocking to the beats of Fedde LeGrand, Adrian Lux and Icona Pop, then don’t miss Summadayze this summer! Park your wheels: Gold Coast Holiday Park, Helensvale. Powered sites starting from $36. BIG DAY OUT (Jan 18, Sydney) What’s a good summer without a big day out? If you’re down for a party and a killer line up, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Bloody Beetroots, head to Sydney Olympic Park. Park your wheels: Bass Hill Tourist Park. Powered sites starting from $35. PYRAMID ROCK FESTIVAL (December 29 – January 1,…